PopTarts, Cheeseburgers, and Pizza
by Confuzzzed
Summary: An apperance by the "Lunch-Gestapo", and Lucas' long hours get back at him.


Lucas stared at the computer screen for the fifth time in an hour. Blinking the code into focus, he tried to get his brain back where it should be working. He had been trying to fix a glitch in a new mainframe program since they got back from SanAnjelina, an undersea research center that they had droped off some suplies off at a few days ago. He just needed to fix one more line of code and it would be done but he just couldn't concentrate. He sneezed loudly three times in a row, wiping his hands on his jeans, he continued to search the millions of lines of code. 'Maybe Kristen is right, maybe I do need to clean my room, it must be getting dusty.' He thought as he continued to scroll through the lines of code in a daze.  
Lucas typed the last few lines of glitch-repair code and leaned back in his chair as the changes were saved to the original program. Yawning he looked at his watch. 'Man, it's only 15:00, why am I so tired?' 'I should probably go see if the Captain or Dr. Westphalen need me to fix anything else, if I make an appearance they won't have to bother me later about if I've eaten today.' 'Actually'... he thought... 'I've got plenty of time later... I think I'll take a quick nap first'. 'Good thing I went and grabbed that tray-full of food when Tim and Jonathan were eating.' Lucas thought, looking across the room to a box under a pile of dirty shirts where he had shoved half of the uneaten packaged food. Kristen always asks them before me anyway, and I DID pull a triple shift calibrating the WSKRS with Miguel and Tim yesterday. So I deserve it. Lucas told himself as he lay down on top of his bed, kicked off his sneakers, shut his eyes, and quickly fell asleep.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Nathan Bridger was on his way to the Moon-Pool to visit with Darwin before his shift, when he was stopped by Dr. Kristen Westphalen. She wanted to know if he had seen Lucas in the mess today. Nathan told her that he had seen Lucas get breakfast, and Ford had passes along a spotting of the teen, with an over-flowing tray of food, heading towards his quarters around one. At least enough for two meals. Kristen quickly hurried off to find Ford and interrogate the man. He and Kristen had made it their personal business to watch over their resident moody teenager. Lucas was known to become so immersed in a program or computer hack that he wouldn't eat or sleep for days at a time. Kristen had become Lucas' "Lunch-Gestapo", Nathan had laughed, but agreed with Lucas' description. Kristen was at the point where she was asking if he had eaten anything four times a day. She was worried that Lucas wasn't getting enough to eat because he never seemed to gain weight. Nathan had heard Lucas joking with Ben one night on leave that if she had his metabolism, she wouldn't complain like she did because he had it. 'At least the kid has a sense of humor about it,' Nathan thought as he continued on to the moon-pool.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Nathan sat down in the command chair half an hour later and quickly skimmed the current conditions of the instruments and the crew. It was still Commander Ford's shift, but Darwin was out feeding and there was nothing else he needed or had to do, so he arrived early. Glancing around again, he was worried not to see Lucas anywhere on the bridge. "Lt. O'Neil, did Lucas report for his shift?" "No sir, we figured that he was doing something with you because he wasn't with Dr. Westphalen when she came to the bridge to give Everett his medication earlier." "I'll be right back Jonathan." Nathan said, annoyed at Lucas's gall. Not showing up for his shift... again; 'I thought we had talked about this...' Nathan thought as he hurried off the Bridge and headed for Lucas' room.  
  
= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =  
  
Nathan looked in the small window on Lucas' door and saw the teen's socked feet hanging off the side of the bed. Nathan opened the door and let himself into the teen's room. The room was littered with dirty clothes and various computer components. Nathan was happy to see a Mess-hall tray covered with empty food wrappers on the floor near the computer which was off and not in sleep mode, which generally meant that Lucas had just stopped using it. Sure the wrappers were from Pop-Tarts, cheeseburgers and pizza but hey, 'better than nothing' he told himself and he made his way to the side of the teen's bed. Lucas hadn't even changed out of his jeans or gotten under the covers. Kid must have been pooped, Nathan thought as his annoyance at the teen faded. He could tell the teenager was cold though, because Lucas was curled in a ball, his arms tucked against his body. Reaching out to check Lucas' temperature, Nathan was shocked by the heat he felt on Lucas' forehead. He then noticed Lucas' red cheeks. Nathan was debating about calling Kristen when Lucas quickly woke up, and sprinted for his tiny private bathroom, almost knocking Nathan into a pile of dirty clothes by the bed. "Whoa, Lucas." Nathan said. Surprised as he was, Nathan was going to give the teen some privacy, until he heard Lucas retching into the toilet, then he hurried to Lucas' side. He rubbed the teen's back and offered him some toilet paper to wipe his mouth when he was done throwing-up. He was helping Lucas back to bed when Lucas spotted his alarm clock and exclaimed, "I missed my shift didn't I, I'm so sorry captain I'll get to the Bridge right away!!!" Lucas was looking for his shoes when Nathan sat him on the bed. "You mister, are not working until you're feeling better. Now change into those,"Nathan said as he tossed Lucas some flannel pajama bottoms and a t-shirt that he grabbed out of a basket of clean clothes in the corner, "I want you under those covers when I get back." Nathan gave an, about to argue, Lucas 'the look' then headed down the hall to med-bay where he grabbed a thermometer, some extra blankets, and a bucket, he was almost out the door when Kristen caught him. "Where are YOU going?" Kristen asked him, as she leaned against the doorjamb. Looking from the supplies in Nathan's arms to the guilty look on his face. Deciding that truth was the best policy, with the stern Doctor, Nathan shook off the "simple science experiment" answer he was going to give her. "Lucas just threw up, I told him to get in bed, and I'm bringing him this stuff." Kristen was just about to demand that Lucas be moved to sickbay when he came shuffling down the hall with a blanket wrapped around him, a duffel bag in his arms, and no sneakers on his feet. "Lucas, what are you doing out of bed?!" both Nathan and Kristen exclaimed together as they hurried the teen into med-bay. "I kinda figured Dr. Westphalen would make me come here anyway. And you told me to be under my covers, and I am." Lucas said gesturing from under the blanket as they helped him onto a cot. "That's not what I meant. And you know it!" Bridger said wagging a finger at Lucas as he set Lucas's duffel bag on the table next to the bed. Lucas started to smile then went white and looked scared. "BUCKET!" Kristen called and Nathan quickly handed Lucas the bucket he had grabbed to take to Lucas' room. The teen managed to hold it down just long enough for Nathan to get the bucket on his lap. While Lucas threw up, Nathan rubbed his back and muttered comforting words. Kristen headed for a nearby cabinet. She came back with an IV insert kit and an IV bag as Lucas stopped Throwing up. "uhhh" Lucas groaned. "Done?" Nathan asked him. Lucas nodded. Nathan placed the bucket on the floor and put the cot into a sitting position. Lucas leaned back and exhaled. "Oh No! not another hole! By the time I get off this boat, I'm going to look like swiss cheese."Lucas joked softly as he saw Kristen holding the IV bag. "We need to get some fluids in you." Kristen said as she started to put in the IV line. "I'll get you a new bucket" Nathan said and headed for the storage cabinet near Kristen's office. When he came back with another blue bucket, Kristen had an IV in Lucas and was hanging the bag on the IV tree. Lucas had a thermometer in his mouth and was already half asleep. Kristen removed the thermometer and checked it. "103 degrees," she announced, "You mister are going to be spending the night, at least." Kristen was too late however. Lucas was already asleep. Nathan stood by the bed, looking at the sleeping teen. He looked so much closer to his age than his IQ when he was asleep. Nathan brushed a few stay blond hairs off his forehead. He was going to pull in a chair to sit and watch the boy, when he saw Kristen motioning toward her office.  
Nathan sat on the edge of her desk while Kristen shut the door behind them. "I'm pretty sure he just has the flu, the head physician from SanAnjelina said he'd had a couple of cases going through the population there. I've given him a fluid IV with antibiotics for now. I'm going to do some blood work just in case. I'll try to get him to eat something tomorrow morning. When his temperature is back down, and he can keep down some food, I'll release him. But not till then." "Why would I take away one of your patients doctor?" Nathan joked. "You, know what I'm talking about! That boy will want to leave as soon as he wakes up. I want you're support to help me keep him here till I think he's ready to leave." "OK Kristen, I'll tell him that he has to stay till you release him." "Thank you Nathan." Just then, Nathan's PAL beeped. "Bridger here". "Umm Captain, I just wanted to ask you if you were returning to the bridge. Commander Ford has already pulled a double shift two days in a row. And he's getting kind of ... punchy...." "I'm on my way Lt." Nathan said, clicking off his PAL. "Jonathan Ford? Punchy?" Kristen asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hard to imagine, isn't it?" Nathan said, opening the door to her office. "Try impossible." Kristen said as Nathan headed for the bridge. After watching him go, she grabbed a kit off a cart and headed for the side of Lucas' bed and began to draw some blood out of the sleeping teen. 


End file.
